Gluhwein – Easy Mulled Wine Recipe (+ Keep-Warm Option)
Easy recipe for Mulled Wine or Gluhwein, a warm, spiced wine drink in which red wine is simmered with sugar, orange, cinnamon, and cloves. This cozy drink is perfect for the holidays!
Servings: 5 people
Calories: 210kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 orange peeled and juiced (½ cup)
- 1 orange Sliced into half-moons (garnish)
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cinnamon Stick
- 8-10 cloves
- 1 star Anise
- 750 ml red wine merlot/ cabernet sauvignon/ syrah
- 1½ oz Grand Marnier or brandy- add 2oz for stronger taste
Instructions
- Prepare sugar syrup: Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode and adjust the heat to LOW. Add water and sugar, and bring it to a boil until the sugar dissolves.
- Prepare aromatics: While the water heats up, peel one orange- just the orange part, not the white pith. Pierce cloves into the orange peel. Juice the orange to get about ½ cup of juice. Add the orange peels, juice, star anise, and cinnamon stick to the pot. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add wine: Adjust the heat setting to low, then add the red wine.
- Simmer: Cover with a lid and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cancel Saute and remove all the spices and orange peels.
- Serve warm: Stir in orange liqueur (or brandy). Ladle into heat-safe mugs. Add a cinnamon stick and 1-2 orange slices, and serve. You can also turn on the "keep warm" setting to keep it warm throughout the evening.
Stovetop Recipe
- Follow the same instructions in a deep saucepan. Keep the heat on low to make sure that once the wine is added, it does not boil.
Video
Notes
- Use whole spices. Ground spices will cloud the wine and are very difficult to strain out. Whole spices infuse the wine with flavor but are easy to fish out when you're ready to serve.
- Use fresh oranges: Fresh oranges make a world of difference in taste here.
- Pierce the orange. I recommend piercing the orange peel with the cloves so they're easy to remove. Alternatively, you can use a spice cloth or cheese cloth to keep the cloves and star anise together so they can be easily fished out before serving.
- Cook on low heat. Use gentle heat, as high heat will cook out the alcohol and make the wine bitter.
- Don't overcook. You want to allow time for the spices to infuse into the wine, but if you leave them too long, those flavors can start to overtake the wine's taste.
- Double the recipe. You can easily double this recipe if you're serving a crowd. Double the recipe ingredients and cook as instructed. Just make sure to use the same type of wine.
- For an alcohol free mulled wine, replace the red wine with apple cider.
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 253mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 65IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg